Pneumatic conveyor structure



March 20, 1956 c. R. HAGEN PNEUMATIC coNvEYoR STRUCTURE Filed oct. 28, 1954 X9 Inf/222210? Xaraya/z ZZ, Hgezz y 2,739,015- t PNEUMATIC coNvEYoR STRUCTURE Clarence R. Hagen, Memphis,vTenn., assgnorto Inter? national Harvester Company,-a corporation of 'New n Application october es, i954, sentii' inwieweit L, i

ls claims..v (c1. soa-sb) Thisv invention relates to pneumatic-conveyors and more particularly to a novel arrangement for sealing ar con- 'veyor' duct to the inlet of a receptacle to preventblowiu back of material from the receptacle.

, The invention as shown in association with a cotton harvester of, the type shown in'my zo-.pending U.V S.

ice

Figure 4 illustrates the Describing the'invention in' detaiLzthe supportstructu'rel 1 herein ycomprising `the vtractor 2 and the framework 3 carried thereby pivotally supports as-.a't 4, the cotton receptacle Yor basket- 5 yfor-swinging movement about ai substantially horizontal axis to-a dumping yposition or to a receiving position such as-shownaingFigures l, l2 yand .4.,

' lThe support structure 2v also `carries ya cotton harvester application Serial No.`459,475, tiled September 30,v 1954,l v

forl Cotton Harvester, wherein thebasket orr cotton re-` ceptacle is swingable from a receiving vposition toa dumping position, the receptacle in the, receiving position adapted to vreceive cottonv from the harvester which is picking the crop in the field and in the dumping position being displaced in order to dump theA cotton into awagon or the like.` In such apparatus, this being only one to which the invention is applicable, ditlculty is encounteredl in retaining the cotton which is light and fluffy with'inthe basket whenthe same is almost full inasmuch as the blast of air is redirected by the accumulatedeotton and passes out between the conveyor duct and. the inlet opening ofthe receptacle which heretoforehas been made extremely'lose and poor fitting in order to accommodate relative movement between the basket and theconveyor pipet A general object of the invention isto provide a lexible pipe or tube section'on the end of the rigid conduit'or' duct of the pneumatic conveyor and this tube beingcon-v structed of exible 4deformable material such as cotton,

cloth or canvas so that`upon the introduction of air into the conveyor pipe, this exible tube extends outwardly from the rigid pipe section and spansl the gap between the same and the basket and enters ,into the basket, the said llexibletube or extension adapted to withdraw from the receptacle and to deate when the air blast in 'the conveyor pipe is cut-olf so as to readily accommodate dumping of the receptacle.

A still further object of the invention is to dispose the receptacle opening and the rigid portion ofthe conveyor duct and the exible tube sections so that the said tube section will be readily guided into the opening from its collapsed condition as it is being extended and expanded so that it will automatically enter into the opening.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a ilexible and expansible tube portion which will inate and is dimensioned slightly larger than the inlet opening of the receptacle so as to provide a seal between the conveyor duct and the receptacle and thereby prevent blow-back of the material from the receptacle as the receptacle is almost full.

These and other objects of the invention will be more apparent from the specification and the drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a cotton harvester showing the invention applied to the pneumatic conveyor system thereof;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional View of the receptacle and the exible tube;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

6 which may be of the-type shown in' Uns. Patent 2,140,-

631, and the harvester incorporates a fanfor'blowerV 7w which is part of the pneumatieconveyi'ng system` generally designatedv8,'as shown-'in rFigure l. Thepneumatic sys-V tem `.8 incorporates arldiagonally upwardly and outwardly directed duct generally indicated 9, whichlincludes 'aerigidy pipe section 10 ywhich is lixedly positionedatthe inclina-v tion of. the d uct 9 and the outer discharge end il oi-.the rigid pipe section 10 is connected'. tofthe inner end 12 of alieXible-tube or pipe13 which may be formed of cotton material or canvas or any, lotherfcollapsiblemateriah The connection between,thetportionsll and 12-may ibe in the form of a band 1 45embracing the same.

It will be noted. that-in the receiving'position of thebasket-,ithe ,duct 9 as well as the rigid pipe portionpill are disposed'in longitudinal alignment withthe receiving; or linlet opening 16 formed in'ia side 17 of the receptacle,v

and the side-17, is herein shown asa panel-whichslopes downwardly away'froim the conduit ordnet 9 and issubfl stantiallymormal thereto andfprovidesaguide' surface 18 on its `outer side Whichfaces toward the,duct;9'ai 1d adaptedk tofguide thev deflated tube as,` shown Vat 13min; Figure .4 by engagement .withthe outer,edge 19 ofthe.,

ilexible tube 13. It wilLalsobeseen from ya consideration of -Figure lv that the 'Ldispositionof the panel 1,7 ob,-

tains af positioning of, the opening 16 soL thats itnfacesj partially downwardlyI andI thusfasj the-tuberi?, begin-s to extend receivesat its lower edgefla thauppenportionfrlSb@ of thettube, and vitvwill bereadily appreciateilithatwith,v

continuedblasting. of the air-jin the directionffshownby the yarrows,in-"Figtlrel, thetube13will extend toits full. length, fand will enter the; basketV as shown in fFig/nre 2; a dimension, in thetpresent instance the diameterof'the 'tube/ 1.3, is. slightly in-excess ofthe :diametervof the,,opening165soVl It Willalso be understood-that the transvers that the outer periphery of the tube will seal against the periphery or lthe margin of the opening 13 and thus prevent any blow-back of rmaterial such as cotton from the interior of the basket between the opening 16 and the tube 13.

vIt will be noted that in the present instance the guide means are constituted by the surface 18 and the .positioning of the opening 16, however, it will be understood that various other forms of guides such as U-shaped extensions on the basket and the like may be provided.

As best seen in Figure l it will also be noted that the disposition of the duct 9 and the basket 5 is such that it is close to the operators seat 25 so that if he should so desire hel may merely put thejtube 13 manually into the opening 16 and then initiate the blowing action in order to expand the tube. t

It will be understood that the term side does not necessarily mean a vertical side but may mean the bottom or the top of the basket.

It will be further understood that the specific embodiment herein disclosed, which has been actually tested, is not intended to limit the invention inasmuch as other forms of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art within the spirit and the scope of the appended claims.

2,739,015l i Parental,- Manzo, 195s structure .'shown, in Figure 42 but showing the ,tubesection in deated positionin so'lidl lines and in dotted lines in the-position it assumes las it is What is claimed is;l f V1. In a pneumatic conveyor of the type incorporating a blower with a material discharge duct and a material receptacle disposed in receiving relation to said duct,4the combination of a .wall defining a side of said receptacle andprovided withwan inlet opening therethrough and aA tube connected to said duct in extension thereof and pro jecting vthrough said opening into saidA receptacle, said to convey material through thepipe into saidreceptaclle,`

the combination with a side ofsaid receptacle having an inlet opening, an inatable,r`ilexible tube connected to said pipe and extending through` said opening into said receptacle, said tube havingtransverse dimensions in excess of those of said opening and inatable pursuant to operation of the blower and the passage of air therethrough to expand tightly against the marginrof said open-v ing to provide a seal therebetween.

3. The invention according to claim 2 and further characterized in that said tube is made of canvas.

4. In a pneumatic conveying system for a cotton picker of the type embodying a supportiand a receptacle pivoted thereon and swingable to a receiving position or to a dumping position, a stationary conveying duct positioned to direct material into said receptaclein the receiving position thereof and including a rigid pipe section and a exible, transversely collapsible tube section connected to said rigid pipe section and extending outwardly therefrom, said receptacle havinga side portion with Van inlet opening therethrough, said flexible tube adapted to be inserted in its transversely collapsed condition into said opening and said tube section expansible transversely and extensible lengthwise to tightly engage the periphery of said opening and project into said receptacle upon the introduction of an air blast in said duct, and said tube collapsible when said air blast is cut off whereupon said receptacle is swingable to dumping. position with coincidental withdrawal` of said tube from said opening.

5. The invention according to claim 4 and said rigid pipe section and said opening disposed in alignment longitudinally of said pipe section and said tube in the de- Hated condition thereof hanging downwardly fromfsaid pipe section and disposed `between the adjacent end-of said pipe section and said opening and said side of said CFI receptacle in said receiving position thereof sloping in a direction downwardly and away from said tube and providing a guide surface for said tube to guide its entry into said opening as the tube is being inflated upon the introduction of an air blast in said duct.

6. In a pneumatic conveying device of the type embodying a blower and armaterial conveying duct through which said blower directs a continuing blast of material entraini'ngY air,` the combination of a receptacle, a support therefor, `means movably` mounting the receptacle upon the support for ndisposing-said receptacle in dumping or receiving positions, said receptacle having a side with an inlet openingtherein, said duct having a rigid pipe section in longitudinal alignment with said inlet opening in the receiving position of said receptacle, allexible deformable tube section connected to said rigid pipe section and hav ing a length greater than the space between said side of said receptacle and the adjacent end of said rigidpipe section, 'said tube adapted to extend from said pipe section into said receptacle through said opening and beingl displaceable transversely of the line of alignment be'- tween said pipe section' and said opening for withdrawal from the opening to accommodate moving said receptacle from receiving tb dumping position, and means for guid ing said tube Vinto said opening attendant to said tube aligning with said. rigid pipe section and said opening upon the introductionof an air blast in said duct. p 7. The invention according to claim 6 and further char` acterized in that 'said tube is dimensioned transversely larger than saidopening to expand tightly against the` periphery of the opening to seal against the same and thereby prevent blow-back of material from said re ceptacle. 8. The invention'according to claim 6 and further char? acteiized in that said means for guiding said tube into said opening comprises said pipe section positioned diagon-f ally upwardly toward its discharge end and said' side of' the receptacle in said receiving position is disposed sub`- stantially normal to said pipe section and said flexible tube in said displaced position thereof hangs downwardly' from said pipe section, and said opening.facespartiallyl downwardly whereby as said tube is being inflated its outer end moves upwardly along said surface and' into said opening and subsequently enters said opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS t 1 Campbell May 29, 1951 

